Cardano Node is gearing up to hit version 9.0 in the upcoming month, with 70% of Stake Pool Operators (SPO) needing to install the new node before Cardano can proceed with a hard fork. Founder of the Cardano ecosystem, Charles Hoskinson, is anticipating a significant event to occur around June. As per Hoskinson’s announcement on June 9th, Cardano Node is on track to reach version 9.0 this month, paving the way for the upcoming Chang fork.
This milestone underscores the importance of SPOs adopting the new node in order for the Cardano blockchain to smoothly transition through the hard fork. Hoskinson has highlighted that the current phase of Cardano’s evolution is the “Age of Voltaire,” hinting at a potential hard fork on the horizon.
Cardano’s development stages, or “eras,” pay homage to notable figures in poetry and computer science like Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Joseph Goguen, Matsuo Bashō, and Voltaire. Each era signifies a distinct phase of growth, from decentralization and smart contracts to blockchain scalability and governance features.
The upcoming Voltaire era, set to kick off with the Chang hard fork, will introduce community-driven governance through on-chain consensus mechanisms and voting capabilities for Cardano token holders. The upgrade’s name pays tribute to Phil Chang, an early advocate for Cardano governance who passed away in 2022.
According to Hoskinson, the Chang hard fork represents a pivotal moment in Cardano’s history, laying the foundation for a decentralized global civilization with millions of participants. This transformative event is expected to revolutionize the blockchain ecosystem, enabling unprecedented opportunities for the Cardano community.
In other cryptocurrency news, the Shiba Inu team has suggested utilizing Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) to enhance privacy within the SHIB ecosystem, showcasing the ongoing innovation and development within the crypto space.